9/7/2026 Update: I spent some these last 2 days working on the upgrades and the loadout system.
My original idea was that the size of the loadout was set for each of the different contracts, this way you would get more space for more upgrades the harder the game gets. But while testing this I realized that it would be nice to turn this into another mechanic, to make the player choose between loadout space or a new upgrade.
This means I'll probably spend more time balancing the game later on but I think it's worth it.
The game now starts with a 4x2 loadout but I will probably change this later to only give enough space to the player to only fit the starting upgrades. That means a starting loadout size of 2x1. This way on the second map the player is already choosing and the mechanic makes sense.
I added the different options for expanding the loadout in the shop.
It also now shows the amount of upgrades you own (survey crew x2 on the picture)
I made the sprites for the upgrades that I currently have. They are not great but I am also not a great artist.
I'll focus on the actual gameplay moving forward, most of the systems aren't connected, there is no win condition or way to generate more money.